ou don't have many good
times and Sherm's steady enough to look after you. They are planning to
start early. I guess you'll get home by eight."

Frank left for the ranch about three o'clock to warn Marian of her
surprise party. Mrs. Webb had insisted that Sherm stay with them for an
early supper. The party had arranged to start at six. With a good team
they should reach the ranch easily by eight, have two hours for
merry-making, and get back to town by midnight.

The cold had moderated through the day; by five o'clock, the sky was
leaden gray and it looked like snow. Some of the fathers and mothers
were doubtful as to whether they ought to risk so long a drive. But the
weather was ideal, if it only didn't snow, and there might not be
another night during the holidays when they could all go.

The expedition had bad luck from the start. The livery man, disliking
the weather prospects, had had an inferior team harnessed to the big
sled. John Hardy and the other young men stood for their rights and
after a long wrangle, succeeded in getting what they wanted. But this
had consumed precious time. They drove out of the livery barn at
six-thirty instead of six, as they had intended. Then two or three of
the girls were not ready. One of the last called for, having sat with
her wraps on for over three-quarters of an hour, had finally removed
them and her party frock as well, in disgust, thinking the jaunt had
been given up on account of the weather. By the time she had dressed
herself afresh it was a quarter past seven. There was still one young
man to be picked up at the hotel. He, too, had grown tired of waiting
and had started out to hunt the sleigh. Ten minutes more were consumed
searching for him. The clock in the schoolhouse tower was striking the
half hour as the sleigh load passed the last house in the little town,
and turned into the country road leading to the ranch.

Sherm pulled out his watch. "Whew, Frank and Marian will have a nice
wait for us! We can't possibly make it till after nine."

The next two miles went with a dash. The moonlight was a dim gray half
light instead of the silvery radiance they had counted upon.

"Those clouds must be beastly heavy--there is scarcely a star to be
seen," ejaculated John Hardy, who was on the driver's seat with a
sprightly girl of nineteen for his companion. "What'll you bet the snow
catches us before we get home to-night?"

"I'll bet you it catches us before we get out t